Danny Hair sank a 60-foot putt at Silloth last night to stay on course to qualify for the Open.

The 23-year-old Durham County player from the Wearside club was involved in an eight-man play-off for the last spot in regional qualifying.

Hair, who is also a member of Slaley Hall, had shot a 75 in the worst of the weather to scramble into the frame.

And he showed real nerve to play two great pressure shots at successive holes to make it through to the weekend's Final Qualifying in Sandwich.

That gives him the chance of making it through to the Open starting line-up at Royal St George's and rubbing shoulders with the game's superstars.

Hair, winner of the Vaux Tankard earlier this season, smashed a wedge out of heavy rough on to the green at the first extra hole and made a par-four.

That was matched by Workington's Will Bowe, winner of the Cumbria County Strokeplay Championship the day before. The other six players in the play off - which included Gosforth's Garry Donnison, Eden's Craig Goodfellow and Silloth's Jonathan Graham - all failed to make par and had to settle for an alternate (reserve) spot for Final Qualifying.

Hair and Bowe moved on to the second and while Bowe hit another great drive, Hair's took a wicked bounce into the rough and he had a shocking lie.

But somehow he excavated it again with a wedge to 60 feet. Bowe pitched to 20 feet.

Hair then whacked his putt right into the back of the hole to clinch the eighth and final qualifying spot and punched the air in delight.

Not surprisingly Bowe ran his putt past in trying to match Hair's birdie and had to settle for the best alternate spot on offer, which should get him into Final Qualifying.

"I knew what the line of the putt was as I'd had one from that part of the green earlier in the day,'" said Hair.

"I just told myself to make sure I hit it hard enough to get to the hole. You could say I was very pleased when it went in! This is the first time I've made it through to the final qualifying and I'm really looking forward to it."

Bowe is almost certain to join Hair at final qualifying along with Penrith's Gary Lockerbie, who shot 70 and finished second at Silloth yesterday.

Consett pro Stuart Ord and Penrith pro Gary Key both posted 72s to go through along with 19-year-old Scottish amateur James McGhee, who shot a three-under-par 69 to be leading qualifier.

There was also success for Penrith's Andy Sowerby at Alwoodley, where he shot 71.